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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23757841">What the Tide Brought In</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lime_kitty/pseuds/lime_kitty'>lime_kitty</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lego Ninjago, The LEGO Ninjago Movie (2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Beaches, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Gay, Love, M/M, Modern AU, Plasma, Romance, Summer Love, fairytale, plasmashipping</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 17:08:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,075</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23757841</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lime_kitty/pseuds/lime_kitty</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kai has never liked the sea. Water is dangerous, you can drown in it! Yet for that same reason, no one would be looking for him at that secluded spot he'd found on the beach. He could finally cry in peace and be alone with his thoughts for a while, no need to pretend he was okay. Then a freckled weirdo had to appear and ruin his perfect plan!<br/>Or not...<br/>For once, maybe the tide wouldn't just bring discomfort to Kai.</p><p>-------------------</p><p>Plasma modern AU.<br/>No smut this time, just fluff ♥</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kai/Jay Walker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>90</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello, everyone!<br/>Here's the story I'll be posting while Blue Spouse is on hiatus. I'll update this twice a week since it's a rather silly one and some chapters are very short, but I hope you'll still like it ♥<br/>It has been sitting in my drafts for about a year so the writing might be a bit different at some points even though I've edited a lot of parts.<br/>Anyway, enjoy this plasma love story ~</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>..</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>The sea was scary. The vast, immense blue field with its never-ending waves, their constant sound when they crashed against the rocks. Water was unstoppable. It could be gentle or fierce depending on the day, you could never know what its mood was hiding. It was unpredictable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Those were just a few of the reasons why Kai had always disliked it. It's not like he was afraid of the liquid per se but the unpredictableness of water in its natural state. Maybe that little incident when he was younger and he almost drowned on the beach had something to do with his aversion. He wasn't sure, but at this point, he didn't really care anyway. He had learned to live avoiding water pretty well. Actually he liked to just lay down on the sand and get a nice tan when he hung out with his friends —it made him look hotter, in his </span>
  <em>
    <span>humble</span>
  </em>
  <span> opinion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So if someone had told Kai just a year ago that he would </span>
  <em>
    <span>voluntarily </span>
  </em>
  <span>be coming to the sea in the look for comfort, he would have told them to get checked with a doctor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>During the last few months, Kai had looked for a place where he could go and clear his mind whenever the sorrow and anxiety became unbearable. He had tried a couple of cafeterias; they were always too noisy and full of people, some of which would occasionally try to start up a conversation with him —curse his attractive features, always catching someone’s unwanted attention. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d also tried the park, but kids throwing tantrums and balls flying in every direction was even worse. He’d given the library a chance too, only to discover that the silence was just as annoying as the loud voices from the people outside. And that freaking </span>
  <em>
    <span>tick-tock</span>
  </em>
  <span> from the old-styled clock in the main room would destroy his nerves.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d needed a place where he could be alone, not too noisy, not too silent, and where he didn't need to dodge flying toys every minute. He hadn’t even realized it when he made it to the beach one day. Kai had looked over at the people lying on the sand or playing by the shore and considered that possibility. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still too problematic. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he wasn't quite familiar with that side of the city yet, he had wandered a bit around the place until he found something that caught his eye. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Far away from the pretty side with the large crowd, the beach turned into a rocky path. A landscape way less attractive to the average bathers, hence why it was deserted. The stones were all different sizes and shapes, some pointy and dangerous looking, the lower levels though had been eroded by the action of the water. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai had descended and studied the place until he spotted a large flat rock standing out of the ground just a couple of meters above the water. Without knowing </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> he had sat there. At first, the water crashing fiercely under his feet made him shiver, but Kai reminded himself he was high enough to be safe, the waves couldn’t reach that spot, there was no risk they would drag him in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was finally alone, no flying objects threatening his safety, and the sound of the waves and occasional squawking of the seagulls was soft enough to create a calming atmosphere. Kai found himself easily engulfed in the salty air. The wind messed with his hairstyle sometimes, but he could stand that. He never thought what had scared him for years could someday bring him so much peace to his heart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai was too proud to admit he wasn’t doing fine after losing his parents. It had only been a few months since they died in a car accident, and he and his sister had to move to another city to live with their uncle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nya said it was normal to be sad, to need help, to rely on others, but Kai wasn’t ready to admit defeat. He’d always considered himself a strong-willed and self-confident boy, he wanted to go through this his own way. </span>
  <em>
    <span>His </span>
  </em>
  <span>parents had died, this was </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>sorrow, he didn’t want to bother people with something that only involved him and his sister.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tears rolled down Kai’s cheeks, leaving a cool trail on his skin as the wind picked up. He had been coming to this secret spot on the beach ever since he discovered it. He would just sit on his favorite flat rock and stare at the sea for hours, sometimes blaming himself for not being a better son in the past, and others trying to empty his mind. The fresh salty air seemed to help him calm down and recharge before he had to go back home, to a place he didn’t feel like he totally belonged to, no matter how hard his uncle tried.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Kai had to admit that there had been another reason to come there lately...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At first, he thought his mind was playing tricks on him the first time he spotted something moving inside the water, but later on, he found out his hallucination was </span>
  <em>
    <span>real</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The top of a head floated in the waves, hiding behind the big rocks that arose from the water further away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai didn’t pay it much attention the first few times, it was most probably a curious kid who swam there from the other side of the beach. But that kid would always come whenever Kai was there trying to ‘enjoy’ his solitude. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Time after time, they started to get closer to Kai’s spot, stealthily swimming from one rock to another, diving to not be noticed and quickly hiding their head inside the water when the boy looked in their direction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That person had been clearly stalking Kai for </span>
  <em>
    <span>at least</span>
  </em>
  <span> two weeks now, maybe even longer than that. While they didn’t seem any potential menace, it was certainly creepy, and Kai was getting sick of them or the possible reasons behind their snooping.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai wiped the cold tears away from his face and stretched out lazily before climbing up the path of rocks to go back home, tired of his ‘mystery admirer’.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>♦♦♦</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peeping Tom hid behind the rock as he saw Kai getting up from his spot. His heart was beating fast, he had the feeling that the gloomy teenager was certainly aware of his presence since days ago, but seeing as the other hadn’t tried to do anything to him yet, he couldn’t help to keep coming and watch him from afar.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a couple of minutes, he presumed he was safe and peeped over the rock; the brunet figure he had been studying earlier was nowhere to be seen. He held onto the stone for support, bouncing softly with the movement of the waves and sighed, it was time to head back for today.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” Said a voice just above him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Terror ran through his veins as his eyes darted up, only to find the kid with the beautiful suntanned skin staring at him from the wall of rocks —eyebrows furrowed with anger. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy gasped and immediately dipped his head, the water engulfing him as he disappeared into the sea.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, wait!” Kai yelled, looking right and left, scrutinizing the waves in order to find where that person had gone, but the figure never came out again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai groaned with annoyance, kicked at a nearby small stone and went back up to the footpath, this time </span>
  <em>
    <span>for real.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What was he even thinking when he decided to confront the stalker like that? It was obvious that they would just dive and get away with whatever they were doing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, at least now Kai knew what they looked like. Their eyes had locked only for a brief instant, but it was enough to see the face of a cute boy with vibrant blue eyes like the deep sea below him.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>There he goes again.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t take the stalker many days to come back, although now the kid had decided to step back and stay behind one of the furthest rocks. Kai could still spot him, and it was annoying the crap out of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai’s head shook with exasperation. Why was that guy watching him so intently after so many days? Why did he hide? What did he want from Kai? This was all so weird and it was really driving the brunet insane. The logical answer to this issue would have been to just stop coming to that secluded spot on the beach, but Kai was not going to give up his special place, for it had taken him a lot of time and troubles to find it. So the other alternative was for the kid to get the fuck out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! I know you’re there.” Kai raised his voice. Nobody ever came to this side of the beach so he wasn’t worried someone might think he had lost his mind and was talking to himself. “Yes, I’m talking to you; the weirdo behind the rock. I can see you, ya’ know,” he went on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No one came out nor gave any type of response. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai groaned, he had been patient enough. Turning around, he grabbed a couple of pebbles and threw them at the sea, aiming at the spot where his stalker was hiding. That boy was going to either fuck off or give him an explanation once and for all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! Man up and show your face, it’s the least you can do after stalking me for weeks, don’t you think?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Kai was going to throw another rock to punish the silent stalker, the boy emerged from the side of the big stone with an unsettled expression. For a while, they just stared at each other in silence, then the water ate the boy again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai sighed tiredly. Did the kid finally give up and leave him alone for good? Kai inspected the water. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nothing… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nothing… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yeah, it seemed like-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah!” Kai gasped surprised as he spotted the boy again. He had moved next to the rock where Kai caught him the last time. Only his face and hands visible as he remained close to the wet surface, eyeing him with the same worried expression from earlier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai cocked an eyebrow and leaned on the edge of his platform, trying to get a better view, they locked gazes once more for a few seconds, until the boy disappeared yet again. He emerged one last time under the spot where Kai was sitting, his eyes coming out of the water ever-so-slowly, then his nose, and finally his mouth and chin. His whole face out in the open at last.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Finally,” Kai said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy flinched at his determined tone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you gonna tell me why the hell were you spying on me?” Kai spat dangerously fast, the blue orbs that were looking at him from below trembled. The silence he got in return made Kai more irritated. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, I got here first so fuck off and find another place to hang out, got it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy sank a bit, his cheeks now covered by the water, and he still would not reply to anything Kai threw at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, what’s wrong with you? Cat got your tongue?” Kai barked anew, yet at the confused expression of the boy, he sensed something was up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The brunet took a deep breath to calm down. “Can you even talk? Do you understand me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The anxious boy averted his eyes for a moment, looking at his surroundings with fear, no words coming out of his lips. Kai was about to give up. This situation was ridiculous, no ‘secret place’ was worth so much trouble.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jay understand,” a sweet tiny voice said as Kai was going to get up. He paused and looked back down at the water, eyes zeroed on the boy floating amidst the waves.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Kai asked dumbfounded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The soaked boy’s lips opened again. “Jay… understand… language.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai blinked astonished at the strange reply. He stuttered as his brain was trying to process what to do now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, who’s Jay?” He asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy looked up at him in confusion. “Jay is… Jay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took Kai a few moments to understand the meaning behind those simple words. “Oh! You mean your name is Jay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy gave a small nod in his direction. Kai studied him, the way the kid spoke was odd. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you an outsider?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As-sai-urh??” He repeated tripping over the word. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai snorted amused. “You’re not from around here, are you?” He asked trying to speak a bit slower this time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay shook his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Figures…” Kai muttered with a sigh, getting more comfortable on his spot over the rock, this conversation was probably going to be long and tiring. “Where are you from?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh…” Jay hesitated, taking a look at his surroundings before speaking. “N-not here. Jay home is far.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai couldn’t restrain a giggle, the way that boy talked was actually funny. “I see… How do you know my language?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jay pay attention... and learn fast.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I noticed you have a tendency to stare at people,” Jay blushed at the accusation. “So why have you been watching me like a creep?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy thought for a moment before providing Kai with an answer. “Jay saw it, Jay saw the tears.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai was taken aback. All this time, that weird boy had just been hiding there to watch him cry? What the hell?!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sad is… not good for the heart,” Jay elaborated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, really? I had no idea!” Kai bit back, annoyed and a bit embarrassed at the fact that he had been caught in his weakest moments. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He rolled onto his back with a huff, eyes now fixed on the clouds above his head. His anger wearing off by the seconds as he realized he had probably been a bit too rude to the clueless tourist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you doing here?” He asked hoping to move the conversation to another topic, but the waves crashing under the rock were the only answer he got. Kai rolled again and looked at the sea, Jay wasn’t there anymore. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! Hello? Jay?” Kai called out, leaning over the edge and carefully studying the water. A head popped out next to the nearby rock and startled him, Kai lost his balance for a second, his upper half sticking out of the flat surface dangerously. Jay hid again with a gasp as Kai miraculously pulled his body inside, panting heavily and feeling his heart rate reach unknown levels. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You...! Don’t you do that ever again, you heard me?! I almost fell down,” Kai yelled, fear still running wild through his veins at the possibility of falling into such deep waters.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“S-sorry…” Jay muttered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai groaned, shifting to sit up comfortably and trying to keep enough distance with the edge of the rocky platform this time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you doing here?” He repeated his previous question. “This part of the beach is dead, wouldn't you have more fun on the other side with your friends?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“... Jay don't have friends.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai tensed at the answer, chewing on the inside of his cheek and wanting to take that back. “Shit, sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why sorry?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“'Cuz… I didn't want to put you off.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is good, Jay like traveling alone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Traveling? Oh, you're on vacation?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay narrowed his eyes trying to repeat Kai's last word, which he didn't seem to understand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Va-ca-tion,” Kai repeated very slow. “You know, like when you don't have to go to school and you can just chill and be lazy and do whatever you want.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay seemed to ponder for a while. “You… vacation?” He asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai laughed with a pout. “I wish, school break is still a few weeks ahead.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay hummed, registering the new information. Kai gave him a look, obviously not forgetting Jay hadn't still answered his question. The boy mumbled something fidgeting with the wet tips of his hair before finally directing his voice at Kai.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes. Jay… vacation,” he stated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lucky bastard,” Kai chuckled. Jay suddenly looked disconcerted. “What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You say bad word at Jay. Jay not bastard.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, it's just a joke. Like irony? Like when you say something but you actually mean the opposite.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay’s face scrunched up even more. “Why do that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why?” Kai was seriously surprised at the boy’s curious way of thinking. “Because it's funny!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Say bad words… funny?” Jay asked arching his brows still not fully comprehending Kai's logic.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah! I mean, when you know they’re not really meant in a bad way, they’re funny.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai observed Jay's expression shifting from disagreement to confusion, then to acceptance with a shrug. Quite an amusing sight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You're really weird, you know,” Kai snorted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hurt crept up to Jay's face in a matter of seconds and he quickly submerged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit! Hey, wait! Come back!” Kai shouted immediately.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The other boy’s head peeped out from behind a nearby rock. Kai could only see his face partially but the discomfort in his features was crystal clear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai sighed tiredly. “What's up with you constantly disappearing?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay looked away, his shoulders bobbing with low sobs. Kai felt guilty, he never thought a simple joke like that would hurt someone that much.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, I was just kidding. It was just another joke.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sadly Jay didn't seem too convinced. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, listen, let's start over,” Kai proposed. “I’ll apologize for the insult and you can apologize for stalking me all these weeks like a creep, does that sound good?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay eyed him unconvinced, but as Kai offered a proper apology with a smile, the other eventually did the same.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So are you gonna come out of the water or what?” Kai asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay sank deeper and shook his head vehemently. “Jay like the water.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai wanted to argue with the boy, but seeing he had already screwed things up too many times in the short amount of time they had been talking, he decided not to push it and instead lay on his belly, carefully stretching an arm down towards the sea. Jay flinched at the action.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just wanna shake your hand,” Kai assured.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“W-why?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uhm… I don't know, it's what people do around here when they're introducing themselves,” Kai explained, although now he was really curious about how such a little automatic action may have originated. He made a mental note to look it up on Google before going to sleep that night.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay swam a couple of strokes until he was right under Kai. Warily, he stretched his arm upwards until their palms touched and Kai squeezed it softly. The smile on Kai’s face seemed to be relieving for the other boy and managed to pull a grin out of his soaked lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I'm Kai. Nice to meet ‘ya.”</span>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After their strange encounter, Kai and Jay somehow managed to become very close friends. Kai would come more often to his secret spot on the wall of rocks around the beach, and he would always find Jay waiting for him, floating in the sea with a bright big smile on his face.</p><p>It was weird at first for Kai to chat while the other guy looked at him from his spot in the water, but he got used to it. Jay really seemed to enjoy being surrounded by the liquid and he never wanted to come out of it.</p><p>He really was a strange guy, and not just because of his way of speaking but himself too. Jay seemed like a very smart boy. Despite his limited knowledge about the local language, he always managed to express himself one way or another, surprising Kai with his curious logic. Other times, though, his obliviousness made Kai wonder where had this guy been living up until they met. He seemed to have trouble understanding what cars were, or TV shows, or electronics in general. Jay never talked much about his own country or life, and he would <em> obviously </em>change the topic whenever those things came up in their long conversations. Kai decided not to push it, he presumed the boy came from a poor place without much resources, or from one of those weird isolated communities where people lived like time had stopped a few centuries ago. Either way, it didn’t change the fact that Jay was, despite his exaggerated weirdness, a nice guy to hang out with.</p><p>Kai still didn’t understand how ‘that stalker from the beach’ had become someone so dear to him in so little time. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn’t really made any new acquaintances since he moved in with his uncle. He still missed his old friends from Ninjago City a whole lot, it almost felt like a betrayal to have fun with other people who weren’t them. With Jay though, it was different. The fact that he didn’t have any friends either was one of the things that drew Kai towards him. Jay would understand the pain of leaving your beloved ones behind, and maybe… the pain of <em> them </em>leaving you as well.</p><p>“My parents… passed away a few months ago,” Kai finally confessed one day.</p><p>As their friendship developed, Kai had started descending the wall, finding spots big enough for him to sit down and talk closer and more comfortably with his new friend. Now he was right next to the water, his bare feet hanging out of the edge of the ground and getting occasionally soaked by the waves. Jay had been staring intently at his feet until a moment ago. Sensing the change in Kai’s voice, Jay’s tremendous bright blue eyes looked up at him.</p><p>“They were driving and… a trunk got in their way,” Kai related with a deep frown. “My mom died almost immediately after the crash, my father made it to the hospital. They kept him there for a week but… he had so much damage… Doctors couldn’t… do anything…” </p><p>As much as Kai hated crying in public, he couldn’t help the tears from spilling out of his eyes. It had been too much. He had kept his pain locked deep inside his chest, not wanting to bother others with it, trying to be strong for his younger sister, trying to prove to the world that he could take care of himself, when in fact, he was only a teenager with a heart as fragile as a bubble.</p><p>Kai didn’t know why was he talking to Jay about this, it wasn’t like the boy could do anything to go back in time and fix his life. He was just a strange boy he had met a few weeks ago. Yet for some reason, Kai couldn’t think of anyone better to confide in at that moment. He knew his new friend always listened to him carefully and paid close attention to any words that came out of his mouth. Jay wouldn’t try to brush him off.</p><p>Kai managed to gulp down regardless of his aching throat and rubbed his eyes furiously. Leaning his back on the wall of rocks, he tried to remind himself to breathe slow. Crying wouldn’t bring his parents back, and Jay would probably be annoyed at him for ruining the mood.</p><p>“Sorry…” Kai mumbled, arm darting up to cover his eyes.</p><p>Jay looked at him for a while, not saying anything. His eyebrows knitted together with sadness.</p><p>“Kai parents have a song?” The boy asked.</p><p>“Uh?” Kai wiped the remaining tears off his face and stared at Jay, dumbfounded, eyes still red. “S-song? What do you mean?”</p><p>“Where Jay lives, everyone have songs. When someone is missed, Jay’s people sing their song.”</p><p>Kai arched a brow, not sure if he considered that tradition adorable or weird. “Uhm… We don’t do such a thing here.”</p><p>“Try it.”</p><p>“What? No way.”</p><p>“It heals the heart,” Jay promised.</p><p>Kai fell silent. Jay’s words seemed like a joke, but the boy spoke with so much genuineness and innocence. </p><p>“Sorry, but I’m not really in the mood to sing,” Kai said while massaging his aching neck, hoping Jay wouldn’t take his rejection the wrong way.</p><p>“Oh…” The other muttered, his face morphing into sadness. “Jay can sing for Kai’s parents,” he added later.</p><p>Kai stared at him with some disbelief, Jay’s eyes pleading as he waited for permission. Kai hesitated. After so many conversations, he knew Jay never had ill intentions when he said weird things like that, but it wasn’t always easy to go past the first impression that made the advice sound like a cruel mockery. </p><p>Kai sighed, still a bit unsure, he finally gave Jay the ‘Go ahead’ with a small wave of his hand.</p><p>Jay grinned with enthusiasm. He brought his hands up to his chest and clasped them together, eyelids fluttering closed and lips parting to let out a soft melody. As the first notes reached his ears, Kai blinked surprisedly. His new friend had such a precious singing voice, it was nothing like he’d ever heard before, way better than all those popular pop stars that usually appeared on TV shows these days.</p><p>Kai presumed Jay was singing in his first language, for he couldn’t understand a word the boy uttered, or maybe those weren’t even words but a lyricless melody, like those perfect ancient symphonies where the point was not to make a catchy song but to let the music flow through your veins and rinse your soul. </p><p>He didn’t even realize he had closed his eyes. Jay’s voice transported him somewhere else for a moment, somewhere where he wasn’t hurt, somewhere where nothing but himself mattered. He felt calm, relaxed, his sorrow was still there but it felt… <em> lighter </em>somehow. As if Jay took bits of it off Kai’s shoulders and offered to carry them and share the pain with him, connecting their hearts.</p><p>The melody faded away mixing with the soft murmur of the sea. Kai suddenly opened his eyes, Jay’s head was next to his feet, eyeing him, patiently waiting for a reply.</p><p>“That was… beautiful,” Kai muttered, still regaining control of his voice as his mind came back to the real world.</p><p>“Kai likes it?”</p><p>“Yeah, I liked it a lot. Thanks, Jay.”</p><p>The moist boy grinned contently, the corners of his mouth almost reached his ears. Kai didn’t know why his heart skipped a beat for a second, but he felt the happiness on Jay’s face slowly spread to his own features.</p><p>Kai caught Jay staring at his feet again, he’d been doing that quite a lot lately. It made him wonder if the boy might have a feet fetish. As another wave came to crash against the rocks where he was sitting, Kai dipped his foot into the water and threw it back up with force, splashing Jay’s face. The boy swam back startled, shaking his head like a dog to get the little water drops out of his eyes.</p><p>“You like my feet?” Kai smirked jokingly, waving his limb close to Jay’s face and wiggling his toes at him as another wave came by. Jay blushed as Kai laughed out loud.</p><p>“Jay likes it…” The shy boy stuttered.</p><p>“Uh?”</p><p>“Kai’s feet are… pretty,” he whispered, face going redder every minute while eyeing the limb out of the corner of his eye.</p><p>“Ah…” Kai’s face darkened a fraction with a subtle blush too. “T-thanks, I guess?” He stammered scratching the back of his neck. </p><p>It was the first time in his life someone praised his feet. He knew he was hot, he had a gorgeous natural tan skin, soft hair, and a decent six-pack. Back in his hometown <em> everyone </em> was crazy for his bones at highschool; girls and boys. But... his feet? He never considered that part of his body could be interesting in the slightest. Feet were used to walk and he doubted you could impress someone by… well, <em> walking </em>.</p><p>While he was lost in his thoughts, he saw one of Jay’s hands softly approaching his leg. Strident alarms went off in Kai’s brain and he quickly pulled his feet back onto the rocky surface, shying away from Jay.</p><p>“Don’t you dare!”</p><p>“Sorry! Jay just… Jay…” The boy blabbered nervously while withdrawing.</p><p>“If you throw me to the water I swear I’m punching your face until tomorrow!”</p><p>“Jay not… Jay don’t do that…” He said not daring to look at Kai, eyes fearful.</p><p>“Good, ‘cause I’ve already got enough with Cole.”</p><p>“Cole?” Jay asked, his face almost covered by the water as he tried to protect himself from Kai’s possible rage.</p><p>“Yeah, Cole,” the other explained. “He’s one of those friends I told you about from my hometown. He’s great, but… he likes to pull my legs and throw me into the pool when we hang out together with the rest, even though he knows how much it bothers me.”</p><p>Jay took his time to analyze the words. After spending so much time together he was pretty used to Kai’s accent, but it was still hard for him to decipher his words sometimes when Kai talked a bit too fast.</p><p>“Kai don’t like water?” He asked tilting his head.</p><p>“Yeah -No! Well, uh… Not exactly… It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s… uhm… You know, it can be dangerous! I almost drowned when I was a kid and… that’s scary, I’d rather not go through that kind of thing again…” He knew he was giving way too many explanations for a question that was way too simple, but he hated being made fun of his phobia.</p><p>“So… Kai will not come here with Jay?” The boy asked slowly while splashing his hands on the surface of the water.</p><p>“Ha! I’d rather shave my head bald!” Kai let out a breathy laugh before his eyes went back to his friend who wore a confused expression on his face. “Sorry, uhm, that was probably rude… It’s just… I’m not a good swimmer.”</p><p>Jay’s expression shifted into a gentle smile. Kai rose an eyebrow at him.</p><p>“You’re not upset with me?”</p><p>The other shook his head. “Jay is fine.”</p><p>“Ah…” Kai sighed with relief. “I thought... since you seem to like swimming so much…”</p><p>“Is good. Jay understand.” He bounced softly with the swing of the waves.</p><p>Kai’s eyebrows scrunched subtly with a smile. This guy was <em> really </em> weird, but his friendly side made up for it.</p><p>“Cool,” he muttered as Jay giggled next to him and Kai couldn't help but smile too. “You know, you remind me a lot of my friends Zane and Lloyd. I wish you could meet them someday, I think you’d get along really well.”</p><p>Jay's expression fell slightly and the boy looked around, his fingers playing together nervously in front of his chest. “Jay… Jay likes Kai. Only Kai. Don't need more friends.”</p><p>Kai blushed a bit too much, and he was thankful that Jay was too busy with his hands to look at him for a moment. Kai pretended to fix his hair as he struggled to keep his nerves under control. Jay’s words had sounded a lot like a love confession, but the boy probably just meant he was shy.</p><p>Admittedly, it pained Kai that the boy wouldn’t be bouncing with happiness at the idea of meeting his friends from Ninjago City. They were so special to Kai and nothing would bring him more joy than for them to welcome Jay into their circle. Anyway, it wasn’t like they were ever going to be able to meet. Summer break had just started, but Kai figured that Jay's vacations would probably end before he got the chance to set up a meeting with the rest of his friends.</p><p>“Well, I guess it's time for me to go,” Kai said eyeing at the warm orangish ball in the sky sinking lower and lower behind the clouds. “See you tomorrow at the same hour?”</p><p>“Jay be here!” His friend beamed with a nod.</p><p>Kai laughed as he put his sneakers back on and started climbing up the rocky path. “Watch out, you’ll end up growing fins if you spend too much time inside the water!” He giggled. “Bye, Jay!”</p><p>Kai was already way too up to see the horrified look that his words brought to Jay's face.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>As usual, Jay had gotten to their secret place earlier than he was expected. He didn't mind waiting, he was patient enough and he loved to watch Kai's face brighten up from the rocky pathway when he searched for him amidst the waves. His smile was one of the most beautiful things Jay had seen in his whole life and it made him feel warm and jiggly, especially when he knew </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the reason behind Kai's smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He really </span>
  <em>
    <span>liked</span>
  </em>
  <span> Kai. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like </span>
  <em>
    <span>a lot.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy seemed different from other people; he was tender and funny, and cute and strong! He must have been to endure the pain of his parents’ loss all alone for so many months.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay felt like he could really trust Kai. No —Jay </span>
  <em>
    <span>owed</span>
  </em>
  <span> the boy some trust. Kai had lowered his walls and let him in when he shared his pain with Jay, it was only fair that he returned the action. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He clutched the small seashell in his hands, close to his heart, which had never beaten so fast. To say Jay was nervous was an understatement. What if Kai didn't like his gift? What if he thought he was being weird again? What if he didn't accept him for what he was? Jay's determination was as steady as a rollercoaster; one second he was determined to tell Kai everything, and the next minute he just wanted to swim away and forget he ever met the boy —the latter would be the ‘easiest’ option certainly. Yet Jay found himself unable to withdraw from Kai, he already felt connected to the boy in a way he couldn't explain. Was that how it felt when you met ‘that special one’?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chickening for the last time, a small pebble fell down from the wall of rocks and splashed him. Jay looked up, immediately recognizing the red mass that was Kai's favorite t-shirt. The boy waved at him and, with practiced moves, slid down the wall, stepping swiftly down the rocky pathway until he reached the lowest part where Jay was waiting for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could do it, Jay tried to prompt himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Of course he could! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kai was a good person! He would understand, he would accept him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Jay,” Kai chirped. “Have you been waiting much?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay shook his head lively, and it was Kai's genuine smile that helped him gather the tiny bit of confidence he needed to proceed with his confession.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kai, Jay has got a-” he tried to say as he lifted his arms to offer him the seashell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Over here!” Kai shouted over his shoulder, waving a hand in the air. Jay didn't understand what was happening until he caught voices he had never heard before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah, we're coming, Kai.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boy, this place is cool! I'd love to come here for some climbing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I'd advise not to, the ground is quite slippery. It doesn't look much safe for such purposes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Three boys and a girl who looked much alike to Kai made their way down the rocky path that Kai had taken seconds earlier. Jay's eyes widened with terror as his pupils shrank till they were almost non-existent, he moved away from the group as Kai started making presentations.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys, this is Jay. Jay, these are my friends; Lloyd, Cole, my sister Nya, and Zane”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They all waved at him exchanging greeting, which made Jay's eyes move nervously from one person to the other. He was starting to hyperventilate. Why were these strangers here?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, you must really like swimming if you've been waiting here all this time. I couldn't believe it when Kai told us,” said the blond by the name of Lloyd, and Jay felt his heart shatter. Kai had told them about </span>
  <em>
    <span>him?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Why would he do that? Jay thought he was Kai’s secret, he thought Kai was a nice boy, he thought they shared... a special bond.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It only clicked in his mind then; these people could probably </span>
  <em>
    <span>swim</span>
  </em>
  <span>, or at least, judging by Kai's stories, the tall black-haired boy known as Cole could. And out of the whole group, he was the scariest one with that bulky figure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay couldn't think, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn't have time</span>
  </em>
  <span> to ponder any further on Kai’s motives for doing this. Jay had to flee right that instant! His life was on the line! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking the shell he had been hiding in his hands, he blew on the smallest end furiously, a soft tune came out of it, followed by a not-so-small wave that engulfed him and crashed against the rocks with a violent splashing that soaked the whole group of teenagers almost from head to toe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The youngsters yelled and shrieked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kai! What the heck, man! You said there weren’t any strong waves here!” Cole complained looking at his ruined pants.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tides are unpredictable,” Zane mouthed taking his glasses off to try and clean them with the back of Nya's shirt, which had remained dry enough for that purpose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai grabbed Lloyd's arm for support as he felt the ground turn slippery under his sneakers. He leaned forward slightly and scanned the nearby water. “Jay? Jay! Where are you? Are you alright? Jay, answer me!” He called desperately but the other boy was nowhere to be seen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did just happen?” Lloyd asked him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai was lost for words, his friend had completely vanished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… don't know…” He managed to mumble.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>♦♦♦</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jay swam. He swam like his life depended on it. Oh, wait, </span>
  <em>
    <span>it did!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He hoped the small shell had played its magic and distracted the group of kids long enough for him to get away. If they somehow followed him, he was screwed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stopped after a while, hiding behind a coral formation. The fast movement of a small fish passing by his face startled him. He looked up at the bright watery roof that trembled softly in synch with the current. He was far enough, wasn't he? Fear ran again through his cold veins, and with a flick of his tail, he propelled himself and swam further until he reached the small cave he had been using these past weeks as a house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay tried to calm down. No human could dive this deep just with their lungs alone; he was safe, nothing could harm him there —nothing except his own aching heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why?</span>
  </em>
  <span> After he’d even told Kai he didn't want to meet them, why did the boy ignore his wishes and brought those humans to their special place?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, obviously, because they wanted to </span>
  <em>
    <span>catch</span>
  </em>
  <span> him. Kai had surely known Jay was a merman all this time, he probably guessed it the first time they spoke. Jay thought the deep waters would do a decent job at hiding his tail and gills, he had always been thankful that his scales were of a deep blue gradient that mixed easily with his surroundings, but maybe this time they had failed him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay stared at the seashell in his hands. How could he have been so stupid? He’d almost given Kai that magic shell that controlled the sea. He thought Kai would appreciate it what with his hydrophobia, give him confidence, but if the boy had known about Jay’s true nature all along… maybe he lied about that, to look vulnerable and steal the mermaids’ secrets away. Were his parents even dead for real?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay lay down on the weed bed he had made himself and gave another look to the small object before he couldn't control his sadness anymore and wailed in pain, clutching the shell close to his heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had been told since he was a kid that humans were not to be trusted. They were cruel, selfish, destructors. They hunted fish to trap them into glass cages, they contaminated their world throwing their poisonous shit onto the oceans, and they even killed other aquatic peers just for fun. Why did Jay even think Kai would be any different?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy’s face flashed before him. Maybe it had been his smile; that sweet smile that melted Jay’s insides. Or his bright almond-shaped eyes that always looked so beautiful either when they were dry or wet with… </span>
  <em>
    <span>tears</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Was that the word? Oh, and his voice; Kai's voice was so lively, so perfect for Jay’s ears —and that was saying a lot considering how great a mermaid’s hearing sense was. But the cherry on top was his feet; those strange tanned limbs with the weird-looking short fingers. It was an adorable sight when Kai wiggled them!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay felt another stab in his heart and a louder wail ripped his throat. He felt his eyes swelling and his face grew hotter before he slowly doze off, body tired of every spasm and painful contraction.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A pebble fell into the water. Kai stretched his arm to pick another one, only to realize he had run out of stock, he'd need to get up and gather a few more. He sighed, longingly scanning the horizon for a moment before his gaze fell, face hidden in the crook of his arms as he curled into a ball up on the flat rock platform where he’d first met Jay.</p><p>It had been more than a week since he’d seen the boy for the last time. What had happened to him? Where was he?</p><p>Kai had been so happy when his old friends from Ninjago City came to visit him as a surprise. He had been dying to see them, video calls and texts worked fine, but nothing could compare to the feeling of hanging around with them, and hug them, and shove them, and scream and be the happy idiots they were. But most importantly, he had been dying for them to meet <em>that</em> <em>special person</em> that was helping him break down those walls he had put up around himself.</p><p>Kai didn't exactly know why Jay meant so much to him, but he was starting to realize it now. He was coming to the conclusion that maybe he liked Jay as more than a friend. Why would his heart hurt so much otherwise? Why would he miss the boy so badly? Why else would he come here every single day since the incident and wait for him to appear?</p><p>A tear ran down his cheek. It was his fault. Jay told him he was shy, maybe he had social anxiety issues and didn't do well being introduced to a group of new people. But Kai couldn't help it, he didn't have Jay's number or any other way to communicate with him besides coming to that spot on the beach —actually Kai doubted Jay ever carried a phone with himself. Kai figured it would have been rude to go have fun with his friends while Jay waited for him at the sea for the whole afternoon, so he took the risk to bring his friends along to the beach.</p><p>And he failed epically.</p><p>The terrorized look on Jay's face was still buried in his retina. Jay freaked out. He’d freaked out completely and it was Kai's entire fault! He could have just told the others to stay back and tell Jay about them privately. Maybe the boy would have agreed to meet them, or maybe not, but at least he wouldn't have vanished from the world with that violent wave.</p><p>Kai didn't just feel like crap for his stupidity, he was also worried for his friend. That wave had swallowed him and Jay had disappeared without a trace. What if the boy had gotten so nervous that he couldn't swim well and he’d drowned in the sea?!</p><p>His friends had told Kai to not be such a catastrophist, Jay looked like a pro swimmer judging by Kai's stories, but he couldn't help to worry over the boy that had stolen his heart so subtly he’d only realized it when he’d lost him.</p><p>On the other hand, if he was safe, there was another possibility that troubled Kai as well. Jay could be so mad at him that he didn't want to see him ever again, and that other scenery was just as painful as imagining him dead. </p><p>Why did Kai have to lose all the precious people in his life? He didn't have the time to say goodbye to his mother. With his father, at least, he got the <em> chance </em> to do that, although Kai always wondered if the man had even been conscious enough to hear him, lying on that hospital bed with tubes and machines all around his body. And now the story was repeating itself again, he'd lost another dear person. And it had been his fault. He'd screw up what could have been the beginning of something strong and precious.</p><p>Kai looked up, rubbing his nose, the wind cooled his wet face.</p><p>“Where are you?” He muttered, his voice low and raspy as he gave up for that day and went back home.</p><p> </p><p>♦♦♦</p><p> </p><p>Jay wandered around the seabed, looking for some alga to fill his stomach. He wasn't really hungry, but he figured his body would demand food sooner or later so he better take care of that already. As he swam, he spotted a few fish dancing around the corals. Judging by the bubbliness of their moves, they were probably playing or flirting. Jay didn't have time to smile, for he suddenly crashed against a rock. His hands darted up to his nose, massaging the aching appendage. No blood —good. He didn't really want to know if any sharks lived around the place. He propelled forward again, finally finding something to eat.</p><p>Time was going by so slow. The way the light shined from above suggested it was mid-afternoon already. Jay sighed, getting up from the sandy floor and making his way back to the cave. He’d barely done anything, but he was so mentally exhausted these days, he couldn't get Kai out of his head. </p><p>The human boy had grown on him from the very first moment he saw him up on that rock crying. Jay couldn't just forget all those things Kai had told him about the human world, their strange customs, attitudes, and music. To Jay, some of the things had sounded ridiculous, but he liked listening to Kai and learning more about the upper world. A world he only knew about what little he’d managed to discover through years of observation. Jay had always been a curious child, always wanted to know about the people who lived on the upper land. Sadly, curiosity is a double-edged weapon and it had brought him a lot of happy moments but sadness as well.</p><p>Would Kai still be waiting for him on their special meeting spot like any other day? Or was he waiting for him with more people and a net ready to catch him? </p><p>Jay lay down on his weed bed, picking up the seashell he’d meant to gift Kai. His chest hurt every time he looked at it, but he couldn't bring himself to throw it away, he had spent a few days searching for one he thought Kai would like and making the holes in the exact places that would turn it into a magic tool capable of controlling the sea currents. He felt stupid thinking about it now, it felt like a waste of time. But whenever his arm would stretch to throw the small instrument out of the cave, his hand would tightly clutch it and bring it back. This was the only thing that connected him to Kai, the only thing that reminded him of all those perfect moments they’d spent together, laughing, chatting, comforting each other, simply enjoying their company.</p><p>Jay wished he could see Kai again, see his handsome human face, his dry hair, his charming smile with those bright pearly whites. Jay huffed, exhausted but more annoyed than anything at his stupid yearning. He stepped out of the cave and looked up at the watery roof. His lower lip was dragged into his mouth, teeth scraping it as the desire to be with Kai became more intense and harder to control.</p><p><em> One time, just one more time, </em>then he promised himself he would give up on the idea of befriending humans ever again.</p><p> </p><p>♦♦♦</p><p> </p><p>Jay made sure to be extra silent and careful as the wall of rocks came into view, diving at a considerable level so his figure would not be spotted. He paused and emerged hiding behind a far rock. Squinting his eyes he recognized a red figure and his heart skipped a beat. </p><p>Kai was there, like always.</p><p>Jay was too far to see his face clearly, but he knew it was him. The hair, the clothes, even the way he sat there alone, with his knees pulled up to his face and shoulders bobbing with silent sobs, just like the first time Jay saw him.</p><p>Why did Kai look like that? So lost, defeated, no trace of light emanating from him.</p><p>Jay stretched a hand over the rock, unconsciously wanting to reach forward and get to Kai, but he stopped himself. Jay’s mind yelled at him to leave and not give that deceiving human any other thoughts, but his heart anchored him to the rock.</p><p>“Why did you leave me?” The words were barely higher than a whisper, but nothing too complicated for Jay's sensitive hearing. His eyes zeroed on Kai's head, the boy's face slowly raised from his knees. "Why would you?... Wasn't I good enough?” Kai mumbled, bright teeth sinking into his bottom lip.</p><p>As he'd guessed earlier, Kai's features glistened with the residue of the sadness that filtered out through his eyes. The whimpering human shook, the wind was picking up as if trying to fall in synch with his tormented mood, and Kai's light clothes weren't doing a good job at keeping his temperature.</p><p>"Please, come back… I want to see you… I <em> need </em> you…" </p><p>The plea pulled at Jay's strings, it played with his heart, confused him. Kai's voice was so full of pain, so sincere that it was making it very hard for the merman to just stay there and watch him cry.</p><p>Jay's eyes started to hurt and something came out of them. Was that… tears? He'd never thought his species was capable of releasing such liquid, every time he'd felt the need to cry, he'd been underwater.</p><p>"Jay?"</p><p>The fish-man retreated with a gasp at the sound of his name, hiding behind the far rock. Had Kai spotted him?</p><p>"Jay, is that you? Jay!"</p><p>Anxiously Jay peaked at the other boy as discreetly as he could. Kai wasn't looking towards him but down to the water surrounding the rocky platform. He was leaning over the edge, scanning the surface of the sea while he kept calling for Jay.</p><p>“Jay! Can you hear me? Jay, please, come out!” Kai yelled stretching an arm towards the never-ending waves.</p><p>Jay remained right where he was, grabbing hard onto the rock.</p><p>“Jay, please… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to hurt you… Please, come back… I can't do this without you...” Kai sobbed, his face now resting on the moist ground as he trembled with the force of his cries.</p><p>More tears spilled out of Jay's eyes. It was being so hard to resist the urge to swim towards Kai and do anything to paint a smile back on his pretty human face. But what if the kid was faking? What if Kai already knew Jay was there and had set some kind of trap for him? Would a net suddenly fall over Jay when he reached the platform? What would they do to him? There were a lot of ancient stories about the cruel acts some humans had performed against Jay's people, not just to their individuals but towards their pacific underwater world.</p><p>Jay peeped his head again over the edge of the rock and stared at Kai. The boy's shoulders didn't spasm crazily anymore, but there was still a depressing aura around him. </p><p>Kai rubbed his eyes. "I'm a fucking first-class idiot," Jay heard him say. With a remorseful gaze, Kai looked into the sea once anew and shook his head in defeat. "I'm sorry…" He muttered again and pushed his body up. "I lov-"</p><p>In a matter of seconds, Kai's body lunged forward as his grip on the slippery platform faltered when he was trying to get up. </p><p>And he fell over the edge, down into the sea.</p><p>Jay gasped in surprise at the sudden move. His eyes going wide as Kai's head emerged and sank over and over again and his hands threw up, splashing around like a wild creature.</p><p>“Help! Someone… H-Help me!” He cried out, coughing as the salty liquid entered his mouth and nose.</p><p>Kai tried to swim back towards the wall, but his panicked state wouldn't let him coordinate his limbs to do that, even with the waves in his favor.</p><p>Jay trembled as he watched the boy struggle from afar. Kai had told him about his fear of water and lack of good swimming skills, but that had to have been all lies... right? </p><p>“He...lp…” Kai's voice died with a weird gurgle as his body disappeared and never came back up.</p><p>Fearing the worst, Jay submerged himself as well and squinted his eyes, spotting a motionless figure falling deeper into the blue ahead of him. Jay freaked out and didn't think it twice; whether this was a trap or not, he wouldn't let a human die in his watch, especially not <em> that human </em>. Jay shoot himself straight at Kai, his own safety shoved to the edges of his brain as the only thing he could think about was to make sure Kai was alright and out of danger. And if that meant risking himself be caught and killed by humans, so be it.</p><p>When he got to the boy, Jay put his arms around Kai's torso and pulled him up to the surface with all his strength. Their heads were finally out of the water, but his friend was not reacting.</p><p>“Kai! Kai!” Jay called him, hoping that would maybe wake him up, but nothing happened. He looked around anxiously, he had to get Kai out of the water, lay him somewhere safe for the clumsy human, but where? He couldn't push Kai up to the rocks, Jay wasn't that strong, and he could neither swim towards the crowded beach. That would have been a suicidal move.</p><p>Then he remembered! Following the path of the wall of rocks, there was a rather small cave a bit further away. Humans never went there, for it was a very tiny spot, hard to find with the naked eye. Jay tightened his grip around Kai, he swung his tail forcibly over and over again, gaining more speed. He'd studied humans long enough to know that water was fatal for their respiratory system. If he didn't do something fast, Kai could…</p><p>Jay mentally slapped himself, he had to stay calm, otherwise, his help would be useless. </p><p>He finally reached the cave. Jay jerked violently as the water level descended and his tail brushed sandy ground, difficulting his advance. Bouncing in every way he could, Jay dragged Kai along the shore until he made sure they were deep enough into it for the water not to cover the unconscious human's face anymore.</p><p>“Kai!” Jay cupped his cheeks, shaking the boy's head and trying to get a reaction out of him. “Wake up!”</p><p>But Kai didn't respond. </p><p>Jay leaned down, his ear next to Kai's mouth, trying to grasp any subtle sounds, but he wasn't breathing yet. </p><p>“Kai! Wake up, please!” Jay cried out. Even if the boy's first words were to be something cruel, Jay wanted to hear his voice again. Even if Kai only mauled his body as soon as he regained consciousness, Jay wanted to see his beautiful eyes again. He couldn't let him die, Kai was still too dear to him.</p><p>A memory from his many years of observation crossed Jay's mind. He placed his hands on Kai's chest and pressed on it a few times, he knew he had seen humans do something like that when their peers disappeared into the water for too long. Jay then pinched Kai's nose and placed his lips over the boy's open mouth, blowing into it. </p><p>No reaction.</p><p>Jay's tears were surging with more force, his eyes stung and his voice went out of control as he wailed Kai's name while compressing the guy's chest another time. The unconscious boy suddenly coughed, spitting water as he rolled onto his side and fought to find his breath, squeezing out any liquid that still lingered in his lungs.</p><p>“Kai!” A joyful grin split Jay's face.</p><p>The boy blinked tiredly once his lungs seemed to be back in service. His eyes adjusting to the light, he looked up at Jay and stared at his figure with a disoriented gaze.</p><p>“J-Jay…?" He murmured. "Am I… dead?” Kai asked confused with a weak voice, one last cough making him jerk and tremble. The wet sand sticking to his face and hair. </p><p>Jay shook his head. The small drops of salty liquid falling onto Kai's face, making it impossible to tell the tears apart from the seawater. Jay watched contently as Kai's dazed expression morphed to utter happiness at the realization that he was indeed alive. The human reached a hand up to caress Jay's cheek, eyes opening wide at the reality of the touch.</p><p>“You're real? You seriously…? Oh, Jay!" Kai threw himself over Jay, catching the boy in a tight hug. It was constricting, but for at that right moment, Jay could feel nothing but happiness and relief. Kai’s face had never been so close, that human was immeasurably handsome, and that smile a lot more perfect and bright that Jay could tell when floating in the sea a few feet apart from the boy.</p><p>“You’re alive! Oh, God, I was so worried about you!” Kai blabbed, his hands roaming over Jay’s body, trying to grasp every inch of the reality he’d been longing for. “Shit, Jay! Where the hell have you been?! I thought I lost you! I thought I-”</p><p>Jay whined when Kai’s fingers dug awkwardly around his ribs, pressing directly on the gills. In a moment’s notice, the glee of the scene disappeared as Kai drew back to check on Jay —and his eyes went down their bodies, discovering a long blue fish-like tail full of shiny scales.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry about the delay! Since AO3 went through maintenance and emails/notifications weren't going through I thought it would be best to wait until the problem was solved.<br/>Hope you guys like the last chapter ♥</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kai froze as his gaze moved down and discovered that the soaked thing next to his legs wasn't just some wet clothing. He had to blink several times, but he still didn’t understand why the skin around Jay’s hips gradually mutated to scales. Or why instead of two pale limbs, there was only one, glistening like a magical vision, translucent fins sticking out of the sides where the thighs should have been.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>What the heck was that?!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Slowly, his eyes raised back to Jay’s face, the horror Kai saw on there felt too familiar. Jay wheezed and suddenly jerked back, rolling over the shore and creeping towards the sea with erratic jolts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! Wait, Jay!” Kai reacted fast enough to grab a hold of the boy’s tail before he got too deep into the water. Jay let out a high pitched scream that most certainly didn't sound human at all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let go!” The merman struggled, trying to wiggle himself out of Kai's grasp, but the water was still too low for him to move well and flee the place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai's hands almost slipped a few times —damn, those scales were smooth!— but somehow he managed to fight the other boy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jay, please, wait!” Grabbing onto the fins, Jay wailed in pain and Kai pulled him closer, sitting on top of his tail.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nooo!” The other yelled in terror, trying to push Kai away with his arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jay, please, just let me talk! I promise I’ll let you go, but you have to calm down, okay?!” Kai demanded. Their eyes locked, although Jay still tried a few more failed lashes before his movements came to a stop. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a delicacy unusual for him, Kai moved away, releasing Jay’s tail. He sat by the boy’s side, hands lingering on Jay’s arms for fear that his friend wouldn’t fulfill his end of the deal and instead swim away forever. Then eventually Kai released his grip. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pushing up on his elbows, Jay trembled, sobbing and turning away from Kai, shielding himself from the human’s scrutinizing gaze. Kai couldn’t help but take a moment to admire Jay from head to… </span>
  <em>
    <span>tail?</span>
  </em>
  <span> With a gentle tug, Kai motioned Jay to turn back around, which the boy did with the most self-conscious and frightened expression Kai had ever seen on his cute face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He couldn't believe what lay before his eyes. Jay’s upper half was that of a normal person, minus the strange narrow openings going around his ribs, which reminded Kai of a fish’ gills. His gaze lowered, Jay even had a belly button! But following his happy trail, his skin transformed, leading the way to that long and beautiful tail.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was no mistake; Jay was a mermaid —or something akin to that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pinch me,” Kai demanded. Jay didn't do anything but look at Kai in bewilderment. “Come on, just do it! I need to make sure I'm not dreaming,” he urged the ‘boy’. “Jay!” Kai grabbed him again by the arm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay jerked at once, his tail swinging upwards and smacking the side of Kai’s face with his caudal fin. Kai fell on his ass with the momentum, a hand darted up to caress the aching cheek. It had </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He wasn’t dreaming. This was as real as it got!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ouch, well that worked too,” he whined, the sting on his face fading away as he looked at Jay again. “You're a mermaid...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay flinched from the accusation, his eyes averted to the water around them and his eyebrows tightened in shame.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, shit,</span>
  </em>
  <span> everything made sense now! Jay's reluctance to leave the water, his strange way of talking, his lack of knowledge about the most random things…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why didn't you tell me?” Kai stuttered, knowing that the question was pretty stupid but unable to speak anything better.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Humans… do bad things to… people like Jay,” he muttered shakily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bad things?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They… kill friends, family, home…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai's eyes widened at the epiphany. “Jay… I would never do that to you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay fell silent until his lips opened again with another incrimination. “Humans lie…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not lying, Jay. I would never do anything to hurt you on purpose.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kai… lied.” Jay’s lips quivered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay’s eyes shimmered with hurt. “Kai told other people… about Jay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, god!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that why you freaked out the other day when my friends…?” Jay sniffed. “Oh, Jay. I’m sorry, I never thought you would… I mean, I had no idea that you were… Uh… Shit, I’m so stupid!” He said leaning in to hug Jay, but Kai stopped when he saw the other boy jumping with fear. “You're... scared of me?” Kai asked hurt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jay thought… Jay was special to Kai...” he mumbled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-You are!” Kai’s hands tentatively grasped Jay’s, intertwining their fingers. Kai was surprised to discover no membrane between the other’s digits, like the ones he’d seen sometimes in the movies. “Ever since you disappeared, I’ve been worried sick about you. I thought something bad happened to you. I came here every single day, waiting for you.” The confession didn’t seem to stir a reaction from the other boy. Had Jay been aware of Kai’s incessant visits to the beach? “I’m so sorry I made you feel like that, it wasn’t my intention… I just-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A gust of wind coming from the entrance of the cave blew all around the cavern, making Kai shiver as the wetness resting on his skin cooled off and seeped into his bones. Jay shook subtly too and Kai's alarms went off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit!” Kai exclaimed, gaze fixed on Jay's lower body. The scales seemingly a bit dry. “Your tail! We- We need to get you deeper into the water!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai grabbed Jay by the armpits and dragged him towards the sea, worried that his fish-like skin would dry and start cracking without a constant humidity. Maybe Jay's gills were hurting too at the absence of water around them! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Kai pulled at him, Jay whined at the friction of the sand beneath his body. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry! Did that hurt? I… Uh… I'll carry you!” Kai said placing a hand around Jay's back and slipping the other under the long tail, trying to straighten up but failing to do so. They both fell to the ground again. “Shit, you're heavy. Oh, man, how do I do this now?!” Kai complained, trying to hook Jay's tail around his arm in a rush.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kai, stop!” Jay's whines finally made it to the other boy. Kai untangled himself from his friend's grasp, they hadn't really made it that far, the waves barely covered them up to their hips as they sat up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This good,” Jay muttered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai's hysteria only lowered an inch. He was unable to take his eyes off of Jay's anatomy. His intense stare fixed on the spots of his tail where the water wouldn’t reach completely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You… You sure you're okay like that?” He asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jay  not a fish,” the boy spat annoyed at being treated the wrong species.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right, uh… Sorry, this is so strange and new to me… I've never seen a mermaid before, I mean, a real one. I've seen movies but… you don't look anything like them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay shifted, bending his tail and curling it a bit up and towards his body. The low murmur of the waves was the only sound for a while between them. Kai was still flabbergasted. No matter how many minutes passed, this wasn't something he could just get used to it in a matter of seconds. His damn crush was a freaking mermaid! A whole different species!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kai and Jay… not friends anymore…?” The aquatic fella asked, breaking the silence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?" Kai's eyes darted up and searched for Jay's, which were still evading him. "What are you talking about? Of course we are friends!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But Jay different...” He muttered brushing a hand over his shiny sapphire scales.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jay, this changes nothing." Kai touched Jay's hand and the boy flinched. "We're still friends. I mean, if you want us to, that is. I'm really sorry about the other day. My friends came by surprise and I… I wanted them to meet you too."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"... Why?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"'Why'</span>
  </em>
  <span> you say… Uhm, well…" As Kai blabbed, Jay's face finally turned around, enough for Kai to see him clearly. The boy trailed off, getting lost in the precious orbs that were studying him, trying to see deep into his soul in search of the truth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai swallowed thickly. Damn, he knew Jay was pretty, but this closeness revealed a detail he hadn't noticed during their previous encounters; Jay's cheeks had a faint rosy color accompanied by a cute splatter of soft maroonish dots. It seemed like human freckles, but the texture looked different. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was so perfect, so sweet, and handsome... </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Why </span>
  </em>
  <span>had Kai wanted for his friends to meet Jay?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The moment the group of boys had appeared by his house, Kai had told himself he'd wanted to mix both of the worlds he lived in; his old friends from Ninjago City, and the new one he'd made out of sheer luck. But deep inside, he'd known there had been more to that; Kai had wanted the guys to get along with Jay, for them to give him their 'approval'. The encouragement he needed to take a step further with Jay. At first, it had seemed he'd only clicked with the boy because he couldn't get along with the kids that lived around this place, but it hadn't been just that. Jay's eyes had captured his heart from the very moment —or more like, they offered Kai's heart a place to nurture and heal, away from the stress of the new reality that had fallen onto him with the loss of his parents. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>'Why?'</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai’s hands went up to Jay's face and caressed his dusted cheeks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Because…" He licked his lips, his tongue hurt from all the sudden tension going around his body. "Because… I like you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai didn't even realize it when he leaned forward and his lips went to cover  Jay's. Any doubts he might have had before vanished completely; Kai had fallen in love with Jay and he wanted to be with him, no matter what species the boy belonged to,, he was still the same Jay that had offered him an emotional haven when Kai most needed it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something wasn't working though. As Kai pressed his lips forward, he felt no sign of reciprocation from the mermaid boy. Kai's eyelids fluttered open as he pulled back, only to find Jay with a blank expression, blinking continuously with confusion. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, God!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Were mermaids okay with same-gender relationships? Could they even be gay or fall in love with humans at all? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, shit!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Kai went pale, Jay wasn’t doing anything, his silence couldn't mean any good omen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d screwed up again, didn't he? Kai just got his friend back and now he’d ruined everything because he couldn't control his damn hormones.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Jay not drowning,” the boy said out of the blue, eyebrows knitted together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was Kai's turn to go silent then, taken aback by such words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Jay not drowning," the boy repeated, brushing a finger over his own lips and then reaching out to briefly touch Kai's. "Neither is Kai. Why… Why do that?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That left Kai dumbfounded, his brain kicking into gear to extract the real meaning behind Jay's question. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Could it be that Jay…?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. No, that wasn't CPR, that was… uh… a kiss,” Kai clarified. Blood rushed up to his face as Jay tilted his head in confusion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kiss…” The merguy repeated absentmindedly, testing the word on his own tongue. “What is ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>kiss’?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit!</span>
  </em>
  <span> He really didn't know!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai's face became a darker shade of crimson. What the hell was he supposed to say to that?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, well…” His fingers tangled in the wet strands of hair that clung to his scalp. “A kiss it's... When two people like each other a lot… they put their lips together... to show their love for one another…” Kai whispered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Okay, </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> had had to have been one of the most awkward moments in his life. He felt for parents that had to go throw similar stuff with their kids. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai looked away, scared of Jay's reaction. Apparently, kisses weren’t part of mermaids customs, so Jay probably found the intimate action disgusting. Kai could relate for a fraction, he’d thought the same when he was a child and caught any adults in the middle of a smooch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he was wondering what to do now, a mass of damp hair flashed in front of his eyes and he found Jay's lips on him. Kai sucked in a sharp breath, going stiff at the unexpected action. Jay’s lips were not even pressing against his mouth, they simply lay there, skin barely touching. Kai's eyes were wide open, same as Jay’s, although the look on the latter's face was less of surprise and more of harmless thirst. The boy finally withdrew, looking at Kai... expectantly?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The brunet flushed a deep red. “W-What… What did you just…?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jay kiss Kai,” the mermaid responded simple and clear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a couple more stunned blinks, Kai huffed a laugh through his nose, hand covering his mouth clumsily. Jay eyed him, worry growing in his face as Kai trembled and contained a nervous giggle before looking back at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you… understand what you’ve done?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay nodded his head vehemently. No sign of doubt in his features as he gazed at Kai. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You… like me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another nod, albeit averting his eyes this time as Jay’s freckles disappeared in a mass of blush. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, Jay!” Kai threw himself forward, latching onto Jay and sending them both down to the ground. Jay gasped, scared for a brief moment, but relaxed again as he caught a glimpse of Kai’s sweet smile amidst the little kisses the boy was showering him with. “I like you too!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai hugged him tight, the force of the momentum sent them rolling over the shallow water and wet sand. The tingly sensation of lips rubbing against humid skin made them both laugh. Kai couldn’t help the happy tears that spilled out of his eyes. Nothing seemed real, yet it was! He loved this fish-boy, and the feeling was mutual. They were fine, no more secrets or misunderstandings around to mess with them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their playful banter ended gradually as they lay on their sides on the sand, tangled in a gentle embrace. Jay pushed Kai’s wet hair out of his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So Kai don’t want to catch Jay and cut him open?” The innocent creature asked with a fraction of pain lingering in his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, Jay, of course not!” Kai shouted. What atrocities had this poor boy even witnessed in the past? “I’m not like those bad guys. I… I love you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Days ago, Kai thought he’d never see Jay smiling again, but there he was, lying in front of him with a face-splitting grin plastered all over him as his eyes watered from all the emotions he was surely feeling. Kai understood him perfectly, he was just as agitated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay leaned in closer, pressing against Kai’s chest for a moment before he drew apart a few inches and closed the gap between their mouths. Once again, his lips just brushed Kai’s instead of pushing further for a bolder connection.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai stared at him. “Uh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jay’s kiss. Is good?” He asked again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai tried to hold back his amusement, but it was impossible not to laugh when Jay looked at him with those big blue eyes full of innocence as he asked such a thing. Kai covered his mouth as a restrained giggled transformed into a full guffaw. Jay stared at him, eyes open in anticipation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” The boy asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, it’s just… That’s not really how kisses work,” Kai managed to get out between chuckles.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay frowned with mild-offense. “Jay never do that before,” he pouted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, baby,” Kai’s heart skipped a beat at how easily that word had left his mouth. He pulled Jay’s chin up and stared into his eyes, so blue and deep, like oceans held inside two crystal orbs. “Do you… want me to show you?” Kai couldn’t believe how hot his face felt, and when Jay nodded without a smidgen of doubt, he thought his brain would really melt inside his skull. The merman’s eagerness was adorable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai leaned closer, hooking an arm under Jay’s head to offer the boy more comfort. “Open your mouth.” Jay followed the instructions, his lips forming a big ‘o’ as if he was waiting for food. “Not so much!” Kai laughed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay tried again, his mouth just partially open now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s good. Uh...” Kai suddenly felt a bit lost. He wrecked his brain, trying to find words to explain Jay the basics of kissing, but no matter how hard he tried, everything he came up with sounded weird. Jay waited for him with bated breath though. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uhm…” Kai rested his head on Jay’s forehead, averting his eyes away for a second. “Just mimic what I do, okay?” That would probably be a lot less awkward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay nodded, determined to learn about this foreign human art.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai licked his lips, tasting the saltiness that inevitably stuck to them. Before even thinking about placing his mouth on top of Jay, he hovered over his face, brushing their noses together, letting his warm breath fan the ‘freckles’ underneath. Jay seemed confused at the tiny, subtle moves, not really catching on what he was supposed to do. Kai waited until Jay was sighing dreamily then dipped down to finally seal their mouths together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai started slow, giving Jay enough time to adjust and analyze the little movements of his lips. When the boy started kissing him back, Kai added more pressure, opened his mouth a little further, nibbled Jay’s bottom lip. Everything he did, Jay did it too. When Kai placed a careful hand on Jay’s waist, so did he. When Kai reached up to rub a hand over Jay’s jaw, so did the boy. Despite his initial commotion and vacillation, Jay had soon picked up on the basics and reciprocated Kai’s moves with equal passion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were both breathless by the time Kai pulled back, cheeks red like fire and staring at each other's eyes as Jay’s fists grabbed the front of Kai’s t-shirt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai delivered one final peck. “Did you like that?” That was probably a stupid question, but he really wondered how had the fish boy felt during the experience. Kai stared with amusement at Jay’s glazed eyes, a shy smile appeared under the textured cheeks. Jay nodded and giggled under Kai’s constant attention.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can Kai and Jay... kiss more?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai laughed softly. “As much as you want.” He placed a hand on Jay's nape and pulled him close again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unmindful of the non-stopping waves around crashing gently against them, the two boys remained lying on the sand, completely submerged in the magic that emanated from their liplock.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There were still many things Kai didn’t understand, many questions and doubts that rose up as Jay grew more confident in his kissing skills. What were they going to do now? Were they an item? How does a human boy date a merman? Would they even have a chance at a solid future?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kai shoved all those thoughts aside. They would find the answers eventually, but at that right moment, all that mattered was that they were together once again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay's love was all Kai would ever need to face any obstacles.</span>
</p>
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